I've been looking at the Ursula Le Guin version of Lao Tzu recently (yes, *that* Ursula K. Le Guin) and it's full of nice turns of phrase, that keep the spirit but avoid the pomposity of older translations.

Martin, I had a look at your blog recently -- you've built up quite a head of steam (but: step away from the photo FX!) and that's quite an extended family of followers you've acquired. Did you ever watch Northern Exposure? You're turning into DJ Chris Stevens (not a bad thing).

Mike, the FX are just digital doodles. Having just notched up my first year, I can say it's been fun. I never watched Northern Exposure but I'm now intrigued by the character, Chris Stevens. His fictional biography states, "He learned much from his fellow inmates; when he was paroled in 1986, he was broadly educated in the ways of the world."I guess parallels could be drawn. Substitute 1986 with 2006.

"Northern Exposure" was a terrific show -- one of the first indications that American sitcom/soap TV had moved from the promise of script- and character-driven shows like "Cheers" and "Taxi" into a phase of Shakespearean quality. If only we could match that level of writing here. Armando Ianucci and Ricky Gervaise are NOT FUNNY [he raved].